We're able to carry an assistance dog free of charge in the cabin of all our flights. Here's more information about how to plan and book your flight with your assistance dog.

What is an assistance dog

An assistance dog is one that has been trained to assist a person with a disability or medical condition and has been determined as being able to travel safely in the aircraft cabin. For your assistance dog to travel with you in the cabin on British Airways your assistance dog must:

be trained to assist you with a disability or medical condition

have documentary evidence confirming that it has been trained as an assistance dog

wear an identifying jacket/harness, and

remain under your control at all times

If your dog does not meet these criteria, it will need to travel as a domestic pet.

Booking your assistance dog

It's currently not possible to book this service online as we need additional information to enable us to confirm your assistance dog for travel. You will need to book your assistance dog at the same time that you book your flight and at least fourteen days prior to your date of travel.

If you've already booked your flight and you wish to travel with your assistance dog, you will need to contact us to add your assistance dog, at least fourteen days prior to your date of travel.

Travelling on other airlines

If your flight is operated by one of our airline or franchise partners, they may have different processes so please contact them directly before you travel.

Many organisations recommend to accept assistance dogs only on flights of maximum 10 hours duration. However, if you can confirm that your dog can manage a longer flight we will accept it for travel.

You must provide a dog car safety harness or equivalent to secure your assistance dog during take off and landing and whenever the seat belt signs are switched on.

We recommend to take a fleece or vet-bed with you for the dog to lie on as well as absorbent pads, which can be placed under the fleece.

It is your responsibility to take care of your dog's needs, cabin crew won't be able to offer any assistance to the dog during the flight.

Make sure your dog has all the necessary documentation, vaccinations, treatments and tests for each country you are visiting. These must be carried with you at all times.

You will need to check with the relevant embassy or consulate for requirements for entry with a dog, along with any regulations or restrictions.

All dogs arriving into the UK will need to meet the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme set out by the UK Government.

All customers bringing a dog into the UK must contact the Animal Reception Centre at the first point of entry, at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure of your flight to the UK. The Animal Reception Centre will check the dog meets the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme and issue a pre-approval letter that you will need to enter the UK.

Customers and their dog will not be allowed to board their flight to the UK without a pre-approval letter for entry into the UK.

If you're arriving into the UK, an animal reception centre officer will meet you and your dog at the aircraft and carry out the clearance checks to enter the UK. For more details, see Preparing for your trip.

The animal reception centre officer will place a tag stating 'Pet Travel Scheme Entry Check Passed' on the dog's harness as proof that it has been cleared for entering the country.

Once the clearance checks have been completed, a British Airways representative will be able to take your dog to a relief area and then accompany you through Customs and Immigration.